On The Road Again
by Steel
Summary: Follows Road Trip......Back to Vegas we go *Complete*
1. On The Road Again

This is a short follow-up to Road Trip. If you haven't read it, this will probably make no sense to you. If you _have _read it, this will probably make no sense to you. LOL

*Author's warning* If you're not in the mood for moosh, DO NOT READ THIS!

The usual applies; I own no one or nothing pertaining to this story.

On The Road Again

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Days had turned into weeks. Before I knew it, it had been three months since the wedding incident in Las Vegas. My plans for an Italian vacation and been squashed by a serial killer who was given the name, 'The Band-Aid Killer,' because he had placed a Band-Aid somewhere on each of his four victims. I figured he just had a Les Nesman fetish and was upset by the fact WKRP in Cincinnati was off the air.

Nevertheless, it had taken these three months to track him down and he was eventually caught and killed by a neighborhood watch group in Pittsburgh. A statement made by one of the heroes; "I bet they won't be able to find a Band-Aid big enough to cover up that mess," was wisely omitted from the official report. You should never mess around with a bunch of steelworkers, if you know what's good for you.

I had been keeping in touch with Doctor Lecter during this time. He did seem a little disappointed when I was unable to keep our date, as it were, but he remained a perfect gentleman. We would speak for hours, late at night, always changing chat rooms and screen names, for security reasons of course.

I would wear the ring sometimes, when we talked, still amazed by it's beauty. The way the light would catch the stones and shine like fire reminded me of his eyes. Replacing the ring in it's temporary home; I would allow my finger to brush over the inscription; When you are ready….

It never failed to make me smile.

Then I got the call. The one I knew would come sooner or later, as long as I stayed with the Bureau. I knew I had to respond, but for my own reasons.

"Starling"

"Starling it's Crawford."

"Yes sir, what's up?"

"We just received a tape from London. I think you should get down here and take a look at it."

"What's the hurry sir, can't this wait until morning?"

"It's Lecter, Starling."

"I'll be right there."

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I couldn't imagine what might be on the tape, but what ever it was, was no doubt on purpose.

Dr. Lecter had not been staying in London, I knew, so whatever there was to see on the tape would be meant for me.

I waited patiently for Crawford to start the tape, careful to control my expressions. When the tape came to life, it looked to be a home movie. It was a steady picture of London Bridge. After a few moments, he stepped into view of the camera. He was dressed in a simple royal blue dress shirt and black slacks. Other than the sunglasses, he wore nothing to conceal his face.

So there he stood, in all his glory. Flaunting his freedom to the whole world and irritating the shit out of Jack Crawford. That in itself was worth it. Then he began to speak:

~~~~

Good day Jack. And if I may be so bold, I assume you are accompanied by Agent Starling, my regards to you as well, Clarice. I would like to offer my apology to you Jack, for the deception in Las Vegas. To toy with your emotions in such a way was rather mean spirited of me I will admit, but it was a great deal of fun Jack, and you know how I like my fun.

There is no real purpose for this video tape Jack, other than I have just purchased this new recorder and needed to test it out. So that being said, I must be leaving now. I have a little vacation in mind, ahh but where to go. Space maybe, I hear it's the final frontier. 

Are you ready? 

See ya round.

~~~~

Crawford stopped the tape and looked at me with a confused expression.

"Do you have any idea what the hell he's talking about Starling?"

It took no time for me to figure out what he was referring to. I couldn't tell Crawford of course, well not all of it anyway. I guess Dr. Lecter thought since I was so busy with work, if _that_ work concerned him, that would mean problem solved.

"Vegas sir."

"Excuse me?"

"He's going to Vegas."

"How do you figure that Starling?"

"Space, the final frontier sir."

"I don't follow you Starling."

"You mean to tell me you never watched Star Trek?"

"No"

Well, I guess there had to be one.

"He's referring to Star Trek sir and we were staying in the Las Vegas Hilton, remember?"

"So you think this means he's going back to Vegas? Why would he tell us Starling?"

"It's a challenge sir. My guess is that he's bored."

"Well, you know him better than anyone else Starling. I'll get on the horn to Director Noonan and let him know what's going on. We can be on a plane in a couple hours. Are you up to it Starling? I'd understand if you don't want to go."

"Thank you for your concern sir, but I'm ready."

Whether I chose those words intentionally or not the fact remained, I was indeed ready.

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Thanks go to my little Sis Chameleon for naming the dearly departed serial killer.


	2. The Return

Thank you all for the kind reviews. 5 hugs and a Rickman, no less. Wow! Captain Lecter? It does have a nice ring to it, but do you really want me to go there Sam? Come to think about it…. 

Here's to all you moosh starved Lecterphiles! BuddyX, Skye007lex, Lexa, MK, Hanniballover1181, Saavik, Sam, Luna, LoT and C. You're the best! 

The usual applies; I own no one or nothing pertaining to this story.

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Chapter 2 The Return

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It took a little coaxing from Crawford, but Director Noonan finally agreed to let Crawford and I make the trip alone. We would have to stay in close contact with the Las Vegas field office, but no Pearsall or Krendler to deal with on this trip, thank God.

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It was early morning before we arrived in Vegas. We went straight to the hotel, the Las Vegas Hilton of course, and checked in. I deposited my bag just inside the door and proceeded to fall face first on the bed.

I finally woke up about 6:00pm. As my senses returned to me, I needed no further conformation that I was not alone. His scent was thick in the room. 

"Good evening, Doctor."

He remained silent as I rolled over to face him. As our eyes locked he said,

"Please forgive the intrusion Clarice, but I have never be able to resist watching you sleep. You're quite lovely when you're exhausted."

"Thanks, I missed you too."

"Did you now. Do you have any idea how much that pleases me Clarice? Rising from the chair he had been occupying, he took a step toward the bed.

I was sitting now, one foot dangling off the bed as he slowly moved closer.

"Does that surprise you Doctor? That I could miss you? It shouldn't you know." My playful tone was not lost on the good Doctor.

"On the contrary Clarice, the feeling does not surprise me, however the ease of delivery is another matter. It's one thing to chat with an old friend when such a great distance separates us, but quite another when we are alone in a hotel room."

By the end of his speech, he was standing next to the bed. He extended his hand, which I promptly took into mine. He pulled lightly and I responded, getting to my feet. We stared at each other for some time before he bent his head, gently kissing my forehead, then my cheek. He pulled back, as if to ask for permission for his final decent, but by this time I had had enough.

"To hell with this!" Grabbing his face with both hands, I just laid one on him. It didn't take long for him to respond. Just when I thought this might finally go somewhere, I heard four sharp knocks to the door. Breaking the kiss, the Doctor asked, "Are you expecting company Agent Starling?"

"Crawford?"

"More than likely."

"Well, it's definitely a given that if he finds you here, the shit's gonna hit the fan."

"I would assume."

The knocks came again, this time accompanied by an inquiry.

"Starling, are you in there?"

"Shit, I gotta get this. Go hide somewhere."

"I will not."

"Whatta ya got a death wish?"

"Hardly." He said with a chuckle. "Go answer the door, before Jacky boy calls the swat team."

I gave him the dirtiest look I could before saying, "Just a minute sir. I'll be right there."

The Doctor followed me to the door, standing behind it. As I reached for the knob, he grabbed my hand, kissing it lightly before releasing it. The knocking came again as I pulled the door open. "Sorry sir, I was asleep, what's up?"

"I was just wondering if you were up to some dinner Starling?"

I was holding the door open about a couple of feet, with my right arm resting on the doorknob inside, when I felt my arm being pulled from the door. As I tried to answer Crawford's question, the Doctor began kissing his way up my arm. Was this man ever in a situation he didn't find amusing?

"Yes sir, I am hungry. Just let me change my clothes and I'll meet you downstairs."

"Okay Starling, I'll be in the lobby."

As soon as the door closed, I let out a big sigh. "That wasn't very funny."

"Ahh, but I beg to differ with you Clarice. You don't find it amusing, even in the slightest, that the object of poor ole Jack's search was within his reach and he didn't have the courage to take advantage of it?"

"He didn't know you were here Doctor."

"And what makes you think I was referring to me?" 

Before I could say another word, the Doctor finished the kiss that I had started. Finally pulling away he whispered, "I'll see you soon." Then out the door he went.

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Eventually I made it downstairs and found Crawford sitting at a video poker machine.

"So how much are you in to it for?"

"Just about twenty dollars, but it's gonna hit, I can feel it."

"Yeah right, I've heard that one before. So are we gonna eat or are you gonna put the rest of your paycheck in that thing?"

"Just a couple more Starling."

"Whatever. I'll be in the coffee shop."

"That's fine." He said while pumping quarters into the machine.

I laughed to myself as I walked away from Crawford. The thought that one of the more intelligent men I knew, sat feeding a machine that would never get full, made me think what other obsessions he might have. I did know of at least one other and Dr. Lecter knew it too. 

Twenty minutes passed before Crawford found his way to the table. "Well?" 

"Don't ask."

I tried to muffle my laughter with a cough, but Crawford caught it and soon we were both laughing.

As the laughter died down, the waitress came over and took our order. Crawford then began reciting our agenda for the following day. Glancing over his left shoulder, something caught my eye. It was a man, back in the corner, reading the newspaper. I was unable to see his face until, as though he new someone was watching him, he let a corner of the paper bend down allowing me to see his face. 

For some reason it didn't surprise me to see _him_ on the other side of the paper. I think I'm developing a sixth sense where he's concerned. He winked, before bringing the paper back up to cover his face and it occurred to me that I should be a lot more concerned about this whole situation than I actually am.


	3. Cat & Mouse

Thanks guys, for putting up with this nonsense. Moosh warning! For those of you who need something deep and meaningful, this ain't it!

The usual applies; I own no one or nothing pertaining to this story.

Chapter 3 Cat & Mouse

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Dinner was pleasant. The only conversation Crawford wanted to engage in had to do with the events to come tomorrow. He wanted to go through the last few days of videotape from the security cameras in the hotel. I highly doubted he would find anything, but as long as it kept him busy and outta my hair, it worked for me. He wanted me to flash the Doctor's picture around at the different hotels and see what I could find. All that meant was I was going to have plenty of time for shopping.

I decided to call it a night and left Crawford at the same poker machine he had been at when I came downstairs. When I entered my room, I was a little disappointed to find that I was alone. 

What I _did_ find was rose petals on the floor leading to the bathroom. I followed the trail to find a single red rose on the counter lying next to a bottle of wine, a glass and some scented bath oils. I guess a bath is in order. I started the water in the tub before pouring myself a glass of wine. Under the bottle was a small note that simply said, 'Enjoy'

He would not return this evening, the single glass screamed as much, but I was happy nonetheless.

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Crawford had spent all morning and most of the afternoon looking through video surveillance tapes from the casino. He had come across only one _maybe_, a man from the back, walking away from the camera. He didn't think it was Lecter, but he would show it to Starling later, to see what she thought.

Crawford decided he needed to get out of the room for a while, so he headed for the coffee shop to get some lunch, but he never made it. On the way through the lobby, he heard the poker machine calling his name. 'I wasn't really hungry anyway' he thought as he purchased two rolls of quarters from the change girl and sat down at the machine.

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I was having a great time. I hit almost every casino on the strip before wondering if fate might repeat itself. As I stood overlooking the water and gondolas at the Venetian, I felt him behind me before he spoke. "It's a beautiful day."

"Yes it is."

"Would you care to join me for walk?"

"I'd love too."

As I excepted his proffered arm, I felt his muscle flex at the contact. It made me smile.

"So little Starling, have you made any decisions that I should know about?"

"Well, I thought I might try the salmon tonight. The staff highly recommends it."

"Ahh yes, I have had better, but it is acceptable. Have you chosen a wine?"

"No. I hadn't given it too much thought."

Damn, this was fun.

"I'm disappointed Clarice. The wine can make or break a meal."

"Choosing wine has never been one of my fortes Doctor."

"Then if you would allow me, it would be my pleasure to select a wine for you."

"Thank you Doctor, I would be very grateful, since I wouldn't want to ruin my meal."

We were walking inside now, just passed the gift shops when he pulled me into a service hallway.

"Now that we have the wine issue resolved, have you made any other decisions?" His voice was a low rumble. If I hadn't known better, I would think he was losing his patience.

"Actually I have."

As he leaned his body in closer to hear my confession, I understood it wasn't his patience he was losing, but his self-control. He was on fire and I wasn't far behind.

"I take it you will be sharing this information with me soon, Special Agent Starling?"

"Ex Special Agent, if you don't mind."

He pulled back far enough to see my eyes and then arched one brow.

"I'm ready, Hannibal."

That was it, all she wrote. Of all the kisses I had ever received or would receive in the future, this one I would remember for a lifetime. It was the kiss that sealed my doom, and his. For no matter what happened from now on, we would never be separated again. I waited for the guilt, the remorse, but it never came. Only a feeling of such intense love, I thought I might melt on the spot.

He finally broke the kiss and took a deep breath before continuing.

"I'll come for you at midnight."

"I guess that means _I'll_ be waiting this time."

Smiling, he gave me one last kiss and said, "It's about time, don't you think?"

With a wink, he was gone.

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When I got back to the hotel, I found Crawford sitting at the same poker machine from the night before. He looked beat as I walked up behind him, touching him on the shoulder.

"How long have you been down here sir?"

"Oh, hi Starling, I'm not sure, what time is it?"

"Five o'clock sir."

"Already? I guess I've been here a little longer than I thought. How'd you do with the picture?"

"No luck sir. I think Dr. Lecter sent us on a wild goose chase, for his own amusement." 

"I wouldn't be surprised. It doesn't matter now anyway, Director Noonan wants us on a plane back to D.C. in the morning. Something about if we haven't turned up anything by now, he wasn't going to pay for our vacation any longer."

"Whatta kill joy. So are we still having dinner tonight sir? Or do you just want me to have the waitress bring you a tray?" 

"Crawford barked out a laugh and said, no Starling, that won't be necessary, I'll meet you here at seven."

"Okay. I'm gonna go get cleaned up. Try and save enough for the tip, will ya?"

Crawford laughed again and said, "Thanks for the vote of confidence." 

"Anytime sir."

As I walked away from Crawford, I decided that I would miss him, just a bit.


	4. You Win Some, You Lose Some

Well, it's time to put an end to this…..whatever it is. Thanks to all the moosh lovers out there. 

The usual applies; I own no one or nothing pertaining to this story.

Chapter 4 You Win Some, You Lose Some

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In the morning, when Clarice didn't answer the door, Crawford didn't know what to think. Finally he had a maid let him into her room, only to find nothing out of the ordinary. No signs of a struggle, in fact, no sign of anything, her luggage was gone and so was she. Crawford was to the point of hysterics when he couldn't find Clarice. He had searched the hotel, with help from the hotel security. He finally composed himself enough to call the Vegas field office and the local P.D.

Within the hour he had the crime scene investigators scouring the room for any evidence of what might have happened to Starling, who had apparently vanished without a trace. Crawford was pleased when he saw Gil Grissom had accompanied the two younger CSI's, Nick and Sara.

"Thanks for coming Mr. Grissom, I'm worried sick about my Agent and it's a comfort knowing I have the best here working on it."

"No thanks are necessary Agent….."

"Crawford, Jack Crawford."

"That right. Didn't we meet a few months ago? A conference I believe. You had a young woman with you?"

"Yes, Agent Starling. That's the Agent who's missing."

"Well Agent Crawford, we'll do our best to get you some answers as quickly as possible. When was the last time you saw Agent Starling?"

"After dinner last night, around 10:00pm. I stayed downstairs gambling. Starling said she was coming up here to pack, we were to leave this morning, back to D.C." 

"And what was your business here in Vegas, if I might ask?"

"We received a videotape from Hannibal Lecter and after viewing the tape, Starling believed he was coming here."

"Hannibal….Hannibal….Wasn't that the psychiatrist that murdered and ate his victims?"

"The same."

"Why did she believe he was here?"

"On the tape, he made some kind of a reference to Star Trek and Starling thinks he meant to come here."

"So, do you think he has something to do with this."

"Without a doubt. For some reason Lecter has always had an infatuation with Starling, ever since the first time they met."

"They have met?"

"Long story, but suffice it to say, I'm positive he's involved."

"I'd like to know more about this Lecter. If he _is_ the one that's responsible for Agent Starling's disappearance, I would like all the information I can get."

"Not a problem Mr. Grissom, I'll go get the case file from my room."

Crawford hurried to retrieve the file from his room. When he re-entered Starling's room, he handed Grissom the file.

"This feels more like a novel than a case file."

"Yes, well Lecter has quite a history."

Grissom sat down in a chair and opened the file. He didn't need to go any further than the first page. He stared at the last known photo of Dr. Hannibal Lecter. After a couple of minutes he said to Crawford, "I think you might have a bigger problem than you thought."

"What do you mean Mr. Grissom?"

"When you were here a few months ago, I ran into Agent Starling on the street, I believe she said they were sight seeing."

"They? What do you mean they?"

"There was a gentleman with her, an older man, but I'm pretty sure _this_ was the man she was with." Grissom held up the picture of Lecter and showed it to Crawford.

"Are you sure?"

"Granted, this is an older picture, but I'm fairly certain that _that_ is the man she was with."

"Did she introduce you? Did you get a name?"

"As a matter of fact, he introduced himself. He was very polite. I thought I recognized him at first. He said he was from Baltimore."

Crawford swallowed hard before repeating the question.

"What name did he give you?"

"If I remember correctly, he said his name was Dr. Graham Williams."

Crawford stood motionless, staring at the ceiling. His worst fear had just become reality.

"Oh God Starling, what have you done!"

Just as Crawford was about to sit down, for fear that he was going to pass out, Sara called from the bathroom.

"Grissom, you better have a look at this."

Grissom entered the bathroom with Crawford right behind him.

"Whatta ya got Sara?"

"I found this on the counter, under a towel." 

Sara handed Grissom the note, which he read aloud.

~~~~

I'm sorry Jack, but I still don't spook easily.

Just think of it as gambling, you can't win, if you don't play.

Take care of yourself.

C 

__

P.S.

Thank you for the gift, Jack, I will be forever in you debt.

Hannibal

~~~~

By the time Grissom had finished reading the note, Crawford felt as if he was going to be sick. Then Sara handed something else to Grissom. Turning to Crawford, he gave it to him.

Crawford looked at the roll of quarters Grissom had given him. The words 'Good Luck' were written across the roll. With a painful smile on his face he said to Grissom, "You can have them pack it in, Mr. Grissom. There's nothing else to find here."


End file.
